D. I. Y. H. (DESIGN-IT-YOURSELF HISTORY)

Whatever percentage of you actually include some of your attention to historic buildings via for-sale-announcements may have become aware of a sale, current at the time of this post, of a house on Franklin Boulevard.  The announcements claim that it was built in 1872 for Frederick Pelton, Cleveland's Mayor at the time.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  An easy search of City Directories circa 1872-3 shows that Pelton, in fact, lived on West 25th Street.  Pelton never even owned this property.  [He did own property immediately to the west around this time.]  This house, in fact, was built in 1879 for banker Ceilan M. Spitzer. This has been well-researched, definitively proven by historical [not contemporary] real-estate tax records.

1995 photo by C. B.

The erroneous account can be traced at least as far back as 2002, when this house was included in the Ohio City Home Tour and its owner, interviewed by the media, gave this very account.  Apparently, whatever research was done by her, or someone acting on her behalf, misinterpreted the Pelton ownership of the property next door as her property, which then led to other conclusions not relative to her property.  Ironically, shortly after those interviews were published, she did finally learn of the correct history of the construction of her house -- which was unfortunately never published.  And, now, with two owners beyond her, the factual history of this house has fallen through the cracks.

Since we are talking of this house, and what is factual versus what isn't, another myth associated with this house is the claim that a local attorney named James Dempsey owned and occupied this house in the 1880s.  This is only half-true.  John Dempsey, the father of James Dempsey and not an attorney, owned this house.  His son, though, did reside there as well, but only for a few years.  Also, the elaborate Gothic Revival fussiness seen in the gable of the front porch today, and what at a glance might appear to be 'hoods' over some of the house's windows, were added around only 20 or so years ago.  There was no evidence supporting that the porch had ever been this ornate, and there is even some circumstantial evidence that it had been fairly simple in appearance.

If the "former mayor's house" story leads to a sale, let's hope the new owner doesn't become too attached to this story.

[For anyone with a much deeper interest in this house, please see the story on Cleveland Historical:  https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/917 ]

HOME TOURS FOLLY #1

Some of you out there are familiar with the Ohio City Home Tour events that went on yearly for many years in Ohio City.  These events were most likely the largest source of historic mis-information regarding Ohio City that ever existed.  There is hence going to be an entire "series" of posts here whose intent will be (of course!) to expose the "folly" of  these many wild -- and sometimes absurd -- falsehoods regarding some of Ohio City's historic structures.  They will appear here in no particular "order".

The 1999 Tour included the house at 4721 Franklin.  When a tour-goer got to that house, you were handed a separate sheet with additional information.  Within this were a few comments about the apartment building immediately to the west.  Included was a statement that the apartment building was constructed for Henry Brooks, who had been the owner and occupant of 4721 Franklin.  It further stated that the apartment building had been constructed in 1915.  Neither of these statements are factual.  It had been constructed in 1906 for a man named James Aitchison, who lived in a house directly behind it on West 48th.  In fact, it had been originally known as the Aitchison Apartments.  Henry Brooks had nothing whatsoever to do with the construction of this building.  The building appears on 1911 and 1912 Sanborn fire insurance maps and on the 1912 Plat Book for that part of the city, all of which can be viewed at Cleveland Public Library and elsewhere. Claiming this building wasn't constructed until 1915 only demonstrates how no attempts were made to look at historic maps like these which showed the buildings.  Claiming that the building was constructed for Henry Brooks only demonstrates how no attempts were made to look at historic property records, available at the County Archives (located only a handful of blocks from here).

Additionally, ads appeared in the local newspapers as soon as these apartments were ready for occupancy.  Many showed an illustration of the building, but at least one used an actual photograph.

FEBRUARY 1907

Note the crenelation at the top of the bay at the corner of the two streets.  This has since been removed.  Also note the house directly behind the Aitchison -- the residence of its owner, James Aitchison -- removed to create parking for the apartment residents (!).

-- C. B.